A Highland Escape at Eagle Brae
There are some places you arrive at and immediately know you’re going to struggle to leave. Eagle Brae was one of them.
Hidden away on an 8,000-acre estate in the Scottish Highlands, around 40 minutes from Inverness, Eagle Brae is home to ten incredible handcrafted log cabins surrounded by mountains, woodland, wildlife and peace.
I visited Eagle Brae and stayed in Ardea, and it was exactly the kind of escape I didn’t realise I needed.
Ten cabins, each with their own character
One of the things I loved about Eagle Braw is that each cabin has its own personality, layout, handcrafted details and features, with cabins sleeping between two and six people.
The cabins themselves are pretty special too. They were handcrafted from huge Western Red Cedar logs in British Columbia before being transported to Scotland and reconstructed in the Highlands. Inside, you’ll find intricate Himalayan wood carvings, handmade textiles and individual details that mean no two cabins are quite the same.
They’re even named after birds found in the Highlands, with names including Aquila (Golden Eagle), Buteo (Buzzard, Strip (Tawny Owl) and Ardea (Heron).
When booking, it’s worth looking at each cabin rather than simply choosing based on how many people it sleeps.
Staying in Ardea
Ardea is one of Eagle Brae’s smaller cabins, sleeping between two and four guests. Ardea sits beside Eagle Brae’s upper duck pond, looking south across the glen. There’s a main bedroom, two character log beds tucked onto the mezzanine, a huge south-facing deck and, one of its standout features, its own private sauna. Everything I needed to switch off.
The hospitality is part of the experience
For somewhere that feels so remote and secluded, the hospitality at Eagle Brae really stood out.
Waiting for me in Ardea when I arrived was a Scottish welcome hamper packed with local treats. Eagle Brae's hamper includes Rock Rose Gin with Fever-Tree tonic, beers from Black Isle Brewery, Scottish tablet, shortbread, Stornoway oatcakes, locally made chutney, raspberry jam and rowan jelly, alongside homemade elderflower cordial. There's also a little nod to the owners' connection with India with sandalwood incense, plus Eagle Brae postcards to take home.
It's a lovely introduction to both the Highlands and the story behind Eagle Brae, and one of those details that immediately makes a stay feel more considered. Although the cabins are self-catering and have fully equipped kitchens, you don't actually have to do much cooking if you don't want to.
Through Eagle Brae's guest service, you can order groceries, wine, local meats and home cooked meals and have them delivered directly to your cabin.
After a day out exploring, I ordered their home cooked sausage casserole and a bottle of wine, which were delivered to Ardea ready for me to enjoy in the cabin. No driving back out to find a restaurant. No cooking from scratch. Just dinner, a glass of wine, the log burner and the Highlands outside.
For me, this is where Eagle Brae gets hospitality right. You have all the privacy and freedom of a secluded self-catering cabin, but the little touches and services around it make the stay feel much more luxurious.
Walking straight from my cabin
I spend a lot of my time travelling, so one of my favourite parts of Eagle Brae was simply being able to head outside and walk. You don't need to get in the car to find the Highlands.
I headed out on one of the walks directly from Eagle Brae itself, surrounded by open Highland scenery and, of course, the deer. There are two main walks on the estate: The Meadow Walk, a gentle three-mile circuit, and the Hydro Weir Walk, a climb from the cabins above the tree line to Eagle Brae’s hydro weir.
You can’t really talk about staying at Eagle Brae without mentioning the deer. Wild red deer roam freely around Eagle Brae, wandering between the cabins and grazing across the estate. You can be sitting, having your morning coffee and look outside to see deer casually wandering past.
It's one of those little moments that a photograph doesn't quite do justice.And that's part of what makes Eagle Brae feel so different. The wildlife isn't an activity that's been added to the guest experience.
If you want more adventure, there's plenty of it
Although I enjoyed having time to myself, you could make a stay at Eagle Brae considerably more adventurous. There are guided canoe trips, fishing, mountain-bike hire and Highland walking, alongside wildlife experiences and the opportunity to explore much further into the surrounding landscape.
And because Eagle Brae sits between Glen Strathfarrar, Strathglass and Glen Affric, there's an enormous amount to discover beyond the estate too.
That's what I like about it. You could spend your days hiking, cycling, canoeing and exploring the Highlands, or you could sit in your cabin, light the fire and do absolutely nothing.
Sustainability without compromising on luxury
One of the most interesting things about Eagle Brae is what's happening behind the scenes. Its Hydro Weir isn't just somewhere to walk to; it’s part of how Eagle Brae generates renewable electricity.
The estate uses its own micro-hydro scheme alongside other renewable technologies, with sustainability built into the way the accommodation operates. The cabins themselves also feel like they belong in the landscape rather than having simply been dropped into it, with living roofs helping them blend into the surrounding Highlands.
It's a great example of sustainability being built into the hospitality experience rather than simply added to the website as a marketing message. Because you're still getting the comforts you'd expect from a luxury stay.
Would I go back?
Absolutely. I'd actually love to experience Eagle Brae at a completely different time of year. I can imagine those cabins are something else when there's snow outside, the fire is going and you've got nowhere to be for a couple of days.
Whether you're travelling as a couple, family or, like me, enjoying some time on your own, Eagle Brae gives you something that's increasingly difficult to find:
proper space to switch off.
Sometimes luxury isn't about having more things to do. Sometimes it's a beautiful cabin, Highland views, deer wandering past, a home cooked dinner, a bottle of wine, a sauna and absolutely nobody asking you what's for tea.
Book your stay here: https://www.eaglebrae.co.uk/log-cabins/ardea/
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